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This chapter was a little more laid-back, a breather episode, if you will, leading into the next arc . It also gave me a chance to show some things that I haven’t had time to get into in the previous more fast-paced chapters.

And yes, the multiple mood whiplashes and fan disservice were intentional . This is not a pretty story I’m crafting here.

Ethan still bugs me a little. I get that he's Kyo's friend, but... argh. I guess it's a little annoying to have him aware in some way that Setsuna likes Konoka. They have already managed to screw themselves up, so having an outside party who's unaware of the entire situation but disapproves of Setsuna's attraction is just a tad annoying. More negative energy can't possibly make them more messed up than they are already. Not that I can blame him for having something against Setsuna... she doesn't exactly do a lot to endear herself to... well, anyone at this point.

I think I've said it before, but I feel bad for Kyo. I can't think of anything he could have possibly done to deserve getting thrown in to the KonoSetsu whirlwind of idiocy/angst. And, well, just the fact that he's married to someone who is in love with someone else is a little depressing. Can he have a happy ending?

YES! Tsukuyomi craziness! Er, I mean, poor Setsuna.

Tsukuyomi did quite the impressive job on her... and fan disservice or not, their scenes were my favorite. Not only do they explain quite a bit of what's wrong with Setsuna right now (Setsuna angst, yay!), they showed Tsukuyomi at her best. All very disturbing and incredibly enjoyable. I can't wait to see what her present plans lead to.

They had left Misora at her dorm, then headed back to their rooms. After confirming the librarians were okay with Ako, and barely dodging Akira's questions about where had they been and why Chachamaru was with them, the four of them had finally settled back at Chisame and Hakase's bedroom.

Negi had fallen asleep as soon as his head had touched his futon's pillow, exhausted and drained. Chisame, on the other hand, was relentlessly insomniac, her nerves made a mess. Even now she rolled around on her upper bunk, casting the occasional wary glare in Chachamaru's direction.

The green haired robot sat, still and completely silent, next to Negi's futon, with a completely neutral expression on her face.

"Hakase" Miss Hasegawa said in a whisper.

"Mmmmmm?" a low mumble came sleepily from the bunk below.

"Are you sure it's safe to sleep in the same room as her?" Chisame kept her voice very low. "After everything she did?".

"Relax" Satomi yawned. "The override program makes impossible for her to attack any of us". She paused before adding, "As long as I don't say otherwise".

"Sometimes you scare me" Chisame muttered.

Somehow, it just didn't feel right. It had saved them, yeah, and even so, it felt wrong, having forced the robot to come with them. Having her watching over them with those creepy vacant green eyes was not helping, either.

"She's actually a well behaved artificial intelligence" Hakase made small dozing sounds, wrapping her bedsheets tighter around herself. "Evangeline-san was only giving her an incorrect use".

Chisame nodded to herself. She continued looking at the immobile robot. It seemed wrong to think of her as an actual girl, and actual classmate, but even so, listening to Satomi talking about her as some simple piece of machinery seemed even worse now. She kept on looking at that cold, unfazed face, trying to read her almost inexistent expressions.

During a second, if anyone had looked at the robot, they could have sworn she nearly looked somewhat hurt by the statement.

But then, quietly, she put a few blankets over her lap, and carefully maneuvered Negi's head over them. He made a tiny contented sound as he hugged her midsection, comforted by the warmth of the blankets.

Another starburst of pain in her chest made her writhe, thrashing against the ropes around her wrists. No matter how hard Setsuna jerked, the bonds held.

*So, will you say it?*

“Fuck off!”

A laugh. *Why should I, when I’ve got you here?*

That sent chills down Setsuna’s skin before a wide swathe of agony tore down Setsuna’s ribs, the scrape of metal on bone sending a nauseating tremor through her body. She ground her teeth together, her lips already bleeding, hearing a scream roll in her throat.

*Oh, I think I almost have you now, senpai…* Mad giggling came by her ear, and Setsuna gave a half-whimper when she felt soft fingers run up the outside of her thigh, not quite sensually but threatening to be. She thrashed harder.

She had to bear this…she couldn’t let Tsukuyomi beat her.

More pain hammered in her head, but Setsuna couldn’t feel where it came from. She wasn’t seeing her own bleeding, stripped body…she was spiralling deeper into her head, pulling to mind the most beautiful things she could think of.

Setsuna saw her most important person.

All pain faded from her awareness when a soft pair of lips touched hers.

“Pactio!” She dimly heard/remembered Chamo cry out, but none of that mattered.

Konoka kissed her, growing more and more passionate, as Setsuna felt a thrill of excitement twirl around her insides as she opened her mouth, letting Konoka’s tongue in—

Dimly, Setsuna heard Tsukuyomi howl in fury, somewhere far, far away.

Setsuna laughed inside her head, still relishing the memory of Konoka’s hot mouth as both of them poured all their pent-up ardour into the kiss.

**O**

May 24, 2010Kyoto, Konoe-Wallward House

Mana

BLAM!

Setsuna startled a little, Yuunagi wavering in one of her strike repetitions. Mana ejected her empty shell casing, waiting to see what Setsuna would do once she realized that she had accidentally wandered into Mana’s shooting range. They were the only two present at the small practice yard, the hour too early for even the more diligent Wallward guards to be up and about.

Setsuna didn’t even blink as the bullet whizzed by her cheek and slammed next to the bullethole already in the target.

Chik-cha-chik—BLAM!

TNK! Metal shrieked as Setsuna deflected the rifle round with her sword, leaping to the side and snapping her blade up into an attack position.

“What was that?” She asked dourly, raising an eyebrow.

Mana shrugged, chambering another round. “You’re in my way.”

“Yeah right—”
BLAM!

TNK! Setsuna stumbled, having caught that shot near Yuunagi’s tip instead of closer to the handle, the force throwing her balance off. Chik-cha-chik. Mana already had her gun up to her shoulder again, pointed at Setsuna’s chest. A head-shot wouldn’t be worth the risk, as even in the state she was in Setsuna would be too fast for an accurate head-shot anyways.

“Mana!”

“Sloppy.”

Setsuna froze, her confused annoyance transforming into anger. Finally, Mana thought, keeping her pleasure concealed under her mercenary mask. Her partner had been far too detached in the last weeks.

“What are you talking about?” Silver flashed as Setsuna brought Yuunagi up into a defensive stance. Red eyes narrowed, eyeing Mana with the attentiveness of a hawk about to strike. “I’m faster than I’ve ever been before.”

“You’re slacking.” Mana fired again in succession, taking the time when Setsuna flipped and dodged around the bullets to load a new magazine.

Setsuna twisted past the last shot, her body flowing like a wild animal, each movement full of power and beauty. She rolled back into her defensive stance, although Mana could see her leading foot sliding sideways to slowly shift into a fighting pose. Protesting, Setsuna said, “I could never have done that before!”

“I can See it, you know,” Mana retorted. “That demon side that you’re so worried about, yet you’re welcoming it in every day. At the level you’re at now, you should be far better than this. But you’re not. You’re terrible.”

Her instincts reacted before her mind did, which was a good thing. High tensile metal whined as Setsuna dodged and deflected her bullets, having gained five metres of ground in a lightning-quick dash but was forcibly halted by Mana’s cover fire.

The gunslinger slammed another magazine in place. “You should be in my face by now. Instead, you’re barely holding your own.”

“What are you getting at?” Setsuna snarled, her arms shaking although her stance stayed firm. A rough tone in her voice betrayed her frustration, although her expression still looked ice calm.

“If you took better care of yourself, then maybe you wouldn’t be so sloppy,” Mana said. Oh, she would have to start being careful…this wasn’t going to work if Setsuna managed to prove her wrong. She still had two loaded handguns on her belt, if Setsuna got close enough to force Mana to drop her rifle. “When was the last time you ate a full meal, Setsuna? Or when you slept for more than an hour at a time?” She pushed on, not giving Setsuna a change to answer. “You’re coasting along on your demonic strength, letting it fill in for you where you’ve gotten weak!”

Setsuna lunged forward again, her sword flashing as she knocked aside bullets in her charge. Still, Mana’s second-last rifle round contacted, tearing along the outside of Setsuna’s thigh and sending the half-demon slamming into the ground, braced on her knees and out-flung hands, panting.

“I’m getting the job done!” hissed Setsuna, her face dark and her shoulders shaking as if she was fighting the urge to call forth her demon blood and take to the skies.

“And for your precious Ojou-sama, are you really settling for just getting the job done?” Mana asked scornfully. An injury like that wouldn’t permanently damage Setsuna, not with her heightened demonic healing even if she decided not to let Konoka heal her. It shouldn’t even affect her fighting. Setsuna must have no force of mind left to hold back distractions like pain.

Had Setsuna become so bad so quickly, and Mana hadn’t even noticed?

She pumped out her last cartridge and replaced the magazine again, not wanting to start a new round of attacks without a full load. “So, Setsuna? Are you just going to let yourself coast through life, wasting your demonic strength on simply keeping that body of yours running?”

Demon eyes glared back at her. Setsuna breathed heavily, one hand white-knuckled around Yuunagi’s hilt, and the other clamped over the slowly oozing gouge on her wounded leg.

“…I won’t use the demon to be my strength,” Setsuna said.

“Oh?” Mana challenged. “Then use your Pactio. That’s why you did it, right? To become stronger?”

Setsuna froze.

“Do it,” whispered Mana. She knew that Setsuna wouldn’t, but she had to try. Normally she wouldn’t have cared so much but by now, Setsuna was her friend. And sometimes friends had to say the things that weren’t welcome, but that needed to be heard.

Panting, Setsuna rose, wiping her bloody hand on her white uwagi shirt. In an odd way, it was nice for Mana to see that Setsuna was still holding firmly onto her traditional work-out clothing, only changing into a Western style suit and shirt when they were on duty. It wouldn’t do for the Wallwards to forget that they are now members of the old Konoe clan, and that while the knowledge may go both ways, the prestige clearly did not. Not that Mana cared to a great extent, but it still rubbed her the wrong way when she saw how the Wallwards always tried to strengthen their hold on Konoka.

They were all old friends, after all.

Setsuna turned, ignoring Mana and the blood dripping down her leg and dotting the packed dirt. The swordswoman walked back towards the house, her head down, Yuunagi’s tip low to the ground.

Mana didn’t shoot. She wasn’t sure if Setsuna would actually try to stop her bullets this time.

**O**

Somewhen in November, 2007

*You can keep pretending, but in the end you know the truth.*

Setsuna shivered, hearing her own voice speaking to her. Keep your eyes closed…she knew that if she opened them, she would see red eyes gleaming back at her. Red eyes and white hair…

*I am in your blood—you can keep denying me, but when your blood runs hot in bloodlust…* Silken feathers brushed over Setsuna’s back, making her shiver and arch, feeling the tingle in her back as her own wings strained to burst out of flushed skin. *You need me, to protect our Ojou-sama.*

“Konoka?” Setsuna muttered, sweating.

*I am your freedom.*

“No you’re not…Konoka’s my freedom!”

It’s a trick—that isn’t you. It’s Tsukuyomi!

*I’m the strength you keep denying.*

Ignore her! Setsuna let herself fall into her spiralling memories, drawing her strongest defence around herself. Chestnut hair shimmered in the light as Konoka spun around, smiling at her with a shy, warm glow in her eyes.

“Hehe…how do I look, Set-chan?”

Beautiful.

Cinema village, and Konoka looked like a princess, bright and gorgeous. Setsuna’s arm was constantly warm with the sensation of Konoka’s hands on her bicep as her Ojou-sama pressed up close to her, looking at her with happy adoration.

*Do you think that once she knows about me, that she’ll give you that same smile? You know better than that!*

Setsuna had scooped Konoka out of Chigusa’s arms, slicing through the two summons as she flew past.

“Huh? Oh, uh…you mean these?” Setsuna stammered, feeling the shame rushing in again with each beat of her white wings.

“What…what are…”

“…Are you disgusted?” Setsuna asked in a small voice, her hands trembling although she still held Konoka securely against her chest.

Konoka gave a vehement shake of her head, blurting out a bit too hastily, “They’re beautiful!” She quickly averted her gaze, “Um…You look like an angel!”

Inside Setsuna’s head, her voice of truth whispered.

She’s lying.

**O**

Asuna

Asuna hated all the fussy paperwork she had to do.

Oh, Konoka was nice and took care of most of her work herself, but her friend just didn’t have the time anymore to shuffle around her appointments and co-ordinate with other people inbetween her research and her duties as the Konoe heir and as the lady of the Konoe-Wallward house. So Asuna was stuck with the boring-er tasks of arranging with Ethan Moor who was going to tell the limo driver the departure times and when their respective friends were available to go out as a couple for social events. Stuff that Konoka and Kyo couldn’t be bothered with.

“Wednesday is the only lunch hour Kyo has available,” Ethan said firmly, scrolling through Kyo’s calendar. “You’ll have to rearrange to open up that time for Lady Konoka, because nothing else will work.”

“I told you already,” Asuna growled, fighting to keep her politeness along with her patience, “that Wednesday doesn’t work for the Mayor. He’s coming all the way up here to thank Konoka and Kyo for their achievement with the Koyane Wards, but he can only have lunch or dinner on Tuesday.”

“Hmm.” Ethan clicked open a few more events, scratching the hint of stubble on his chin. When Asuna had been fourteen, she might have found him attractive, as even though he was Kyo’s age Ethan gave off the semblance of being older in a rugged kind of way. Of course, that impression got ruined whenever he opened his mouth… “Tuesday dinner might work; I can reschedule the overseas conference call and change his work supervision time to Wednesday.” He started dialing. “I’ll give him a call.”

Asuna rolled her eyes, scribbling in Konoka’s new appointment in her pocket calendar. If it wasn’t for all the hassle involved, Asuna would have volunteered to take the steward job in the household, just to spare Konoka the many calls Ethan would make before deciding on anything.

“What?” Ethan demanded, unfortunately catching sight of her exasperated expression, his phone against his ear. “Something you want to say?”

“Yeah,” Asuna gritted her teeth, feeling her temper flare. Damn, she missed Ayaka and how she could always blow off some steam in a friendly fight with their old class president. “Are the calls really necessary? Just make the decision yourself—why else would Kyo-san trust you with his schedule?”

“Changes in Kyo’s schedule affect more people than just himself, you know,” he snapped. “I can’t just shift things without his permission.”

“Didn’t he already give you permission when he gave you the responsibility?” Asuna sighed. Remember, Konoka told you to be nice. “Look, you might be disruptive to Kyo-san and Konoka when you keep confirming all your decisions with them—they both trust you to make the right choices. So can we cut out the middle-step all the time?”

“Even though he’s my friend, I’m still his employee,” Ethan said. “Final decisions are for the bosses to make, not me.”

Asuna frowned, tapping her pen against the table. “Is that really how he thinks of you?”

The young man blinked, startled at the question. To Asuna’s surprise, he actually gave it some thought instead of just spouting off an asshole-ish answer. “You know, I really don’t know,” admitted Ethan finally, ending his call before it connected and setting the phone down. “It’s his right. He’s from a noble family, and I’m just a paid hand who happens to be his friend.”

“So he does just think of you and Hazan as just servants?” Asuna asked, not even trying to hide how appalled she was.

“He’s not like that!” Ethan defended Kyo loyally. “He treats us like friends when we’re in private. We just can’t act that way in public, you know. It’s not proper, like how you act with Lady Konoka.”

“I’ll act however I want!” Asuna retorted. “Konoka’s my friend, not my boss. I do things for her because I want to, not because I’m getting paid.”

“But you are getting paid,” Ethan pointed out acerbically.

Asuna grimaced—damn, that was true. “But we don’t believe in all that courtesy stuff between us. Konoka would hate it if I treated her like some Ojou-sama. And besides, she wouldn’t treat anyone else in this household like a servant either.”

“She should. It’ll only make her look lowly if she’s so familiar like that.”

“Some people don’t care about status, as amazing as it might seem to you.”

“She can afford to,” Ethan said. He sighed and drank from his coffee mug, dropping it back on the table with a thud. “Kyo doesn’t have that luxury, okay? He doesn’t get to coast along through life like the lady does. So it’s not his fault!”

“I didn’t think of that,” Asuna admitted. Konoka had always made light of her family situation, it hadn’t been until the Kyoto trip that Asuna and the rest of their classmates had realized just how rich and powerful Konoka’s family was. But a nouveau-riche family like the Wallwards would likely be more insecure with their status. “Konoka…well, she doesn’t care. She never did.”

“Well, Kyo does,” Ethan scowled, but for once he didn’t seem to be directing that glower at Asuna. “The Wallwards worked hard for their status. It costs a lot to maintain it. Even if it’s not easy, he still has to do it.”

“Seems dumb to me,” Asuna said. “The only people I’ve ever met who flaunted their status were creeps who were trying really hard to hide just how lame they were. The people who actually had the right stuff are always humble about it.”

So that’s a yes, in guy-speech. “Well…why do you still do it then? Still be his steward, putting yourself in a position that you don’t really want to be in?”

Ethan pocketed his Blackberry and thought for a bit. Then he shrugged. “I’m his friend, so if he needs the favour, I’ll do it for him.”

Figures that Asuna wasn’t really going to get a good second opinion on the matter. Guys and girls felt differently about this stuff—and anyways, the case Asuna was thinking of had other complications worked in as well. “Cool. Thanks.”

“What?” Asuna asked again, already rapidly trying to think of the best way to answer a bunch of potential loaded questions…

“Is she like…” Ethan coughed. “Gay?”

Asuna nearly choked in surprise. Not exactly the question she had been expecting, and while thankfully it wasn’t as touchy of a subject to answer it still wasn’t exactly something Asuna wanted to address. Experience taught her to dodge those kinds of questions. “Why do you care?” She asked evasively.

Now it was Ethan’s turn to dodge the question. Asuna could tell in the way his eyes flicked away and in the tensing of his shoulders. Idly, he answered with a wry grin, “Just curious, since, well, you might have noticed that Hazan sorta likes her and all. Just looking out for a friend.”

Yeah right, I’m soooo sure that was what you were getting after. “Hazan-san seems like a big girl…I’m sure she can handle things herself, if she wanted to try things out.” Asuna thanked Mana for her dry commentary on Setsuna’s behaviour towards Konoka in high school (of course, Mana had grossly overestimated Setsuna’s capabilities, but no use dwelling on that now). It gave her a perfect comeback.

“Yeah, I bet she can,” Ethan agreed, smoothing out his shirt. “Anyways, I’ll confirm the schedule with you later tonight. I’ll book the restaurant too, why don’t you deal with the guard stuff?”

“Sure,” Asuna said, nodding and waving him off.

Was Setsuna gay?

Sheesh…Asuna had never seen anyone gayer for another person than Setsuna and Konoka together.

No, she had to be fair. That’s where it hurt so much to have to be a witness to the current tangled mess.

Asuna had never seen two people who loved each other more than Setsuna and Konoka together…even when they couldn’t be together.

**O**

Finally, Setsuna thought, some privacy. She liked being with the rest of their classmates—their friends—but sometimes she just wanted to spend some quiet time with Kono-chan alone.

Since Konoka hadn’t let go of her ever since they had ducked off for a walk in the woods together, it seemed that Konoka had the same sentiment.

“It’s such a nice day for a picnic, don’t you think, Set-chan?” Konoka sighed happily, running her hand down Setsuna’s arm until they were holding hands.

Setsuna had claimed the weight of their picnic basket before they had even stepped outside the building, even though it kept her sword arm hindered (since there was no way she was going to forgo holding Kono-chan’s hand!). “I’m sorry Kono-chan, I didn’t even think to help you prepare the food…”

“Aw, that’s alright. I like cooking for you.” Konoka beamed and snuggled up to Setsuna’s side, trusting her guardian to keep them from tripping each other. They found a little clearing and spread out their groundsheet, laying out their lunch in the sweet meadow grass.

Konoka started it first, by insisting on feeding Setsuna by hand. And it must have been something in the hazy summer day, because Setsuna found herself getting more and more flustered whenever Konoka’s fingers brushed her lips, and not flustered in a bad way.

“Your cooking is amazing, Kono-chan,” whispered Setsuna as she caught onto Konoka’s hand, holding it on her cheek.

Her beautiful friend smiled, her brown eyes warm. She stroked Setsuna’s cheek, the touch just as tender as it was arousing. “It’s easy to cook for someone I love.”

Konoka said that she loved Setsuna all the time, but this time Setsuna felt something stirring inside her stomach. Come on, say it… “Kono-chan…I…” She licked her lips, sweating. “I love…eating the food you make!”

Thunk! Setsuna sighed, leaving her hand from where she had face-palmed herself. Why couldn’t she just say it?

“Set-chan!” Konoka pulled Setsuna’s hand away and kissed the red mark on the black-haired girl’s forehead, somehow using that motion to slide onto Setsuna’s lap. All of Setsuna’s higher thinking immediately flew the coop as she gasped, her senses filled with just Konoka. The scent of her hair, her warmth, the sight of her hands coming up to wrap around Setsuna’s neck, the feel of her breasts against Setsuna’s own…

She kissed her hard, feeling Konoka’s startlement that quickly changed to eager passion as the brunette reciprocated, pulling them closely together.

When Konoka finally pulled away slightly, gasping for breath, Setsuna panted as well, finding her hands up the back of Konoka’s shirt. While a tiny, tiny part of her was spazzing over taking such liberty with her Ojou-sama’s body and for doing such inappropriate things, most of her was just revelling in the glory of feeling Konoka’s soft skin under her fingers. Somehow she had ended up on her back, with Konoka lying on top of her, her lady’s long hair forming a silky veil around them.

“Set-chan,” whispered Konoka, trembling with desire. She laid her shaking palm on Setsuna’s stomach to keep herself from doing anything else with that hand. “Are…are you sure you want to keep going?”

Setsuna knew how much Konoka wanted her. All these years, Setsuna wanted Konoka as well, but it was her own feelings about herself that had always kept her thinking that her desires were shameful. Ever since they came to the Magical World, Konoka’s advances had become more and more daring, and far less subtle. But a sensitive girl like Konoka would be very aware of Setsuna’s discomfort with the idea of intimacy between them. It made Setsuna love her more, just for that kind consideration.

“Set-chan?”

Without a word, Setsuna kissed Konoka lightly, clasping one of Konoka’s hands. She drew Konoka’s hand up and placed it on her breast—

Aversion suddenly flooded through Setsuna’s whole body, making her jerk in revulsion and surprise.

And then Setsuna remembered where she really was—

“GET OFF!” She shrieked, her full attention snapping back into the cave. Tsukuyomi’s weight pinned her down on the bed, the small swordswoman’s hand resting on Setsuna’s chest. That sensation sent Setsuna into a renewed frenzy, half-sobbing as she struggled, her horror washing away the last vestiges of the false dream planted inside her mind.

Tsukuyomi pouted. “Awwww, Senpai…a few more seconds, and you would have taken me all the way with you.” She removed her hand and sat back on Setsuna’s bare stomach, still straddling the half-demon girl. “It would have been really good too.”

With a sigh, Tsukuyomi hopped off the bed, looking incredibly disappointed. “I wasn’t going to do anything against your consent, you know. It wouldn’t be as fun. Oh, my hopes had been so high, when you wanted me to touch you…”

“No, I didn’t!” Setsuna screamed, feeling the burn of shameful tears wetting her eyelashes. “I didn’t, I didn’t, I DIDN’T!”

“Crap,” Setsuna muttered. She twisted, trying to look at the back of her thigh. Her leg wound protested, making her wince and crane her neck instead.

Stupid Mana, for shooting her. And for accusing her of all those things.

And for being right about it all.

The bullet wound was just a graze, but since Mana had been using rifle rounds the gouge was wide enough for copious bleeding to result from Setsuna’s negligent walking. She sighed, pulling away the cloth of her pants from the wound’s edges, sending another jolt of pain through her thigh.

Growling, Setsuna braced herself against the sink, lowering her head. She needed to clean her wound, or at least wash the blood off herself and get into some new clothes. A shower seemed pretty unavoidable, but she hated that it was still bright out. Setsuna never felt comfortable with closing her eyes instead of using the darkness to keep her from seeing herself.

Ever since that time, she was never sure what she’d be seeing when she opened them again.

By feel Setsuna found the window blinds and yanked them as tightly shut as she could. Even so, she could still see tinges of red through her eyelids instead of pure black, but it was the best she could do.

At this point she had to stop, breathing heavily to calm her heartbeat down.

Ever since yesterday, everything hurt worse than before, especially inside her head. Too many memories triggered by just one simple reminder.

Deal with it! Setsuna exhaled and pulled the tie on her pants, trembling when she felt them slide down and bunch up by her ankles. Having a few shots to mellow her anxiety would be preferable, if Setsuna went for that kind of stuff.

Shizuna-sensei had actually suggested benzodiazepines early in their therapy sessions, but Setsuna had refused vehemently. A warrior had to fight what made her afraid, not use drugs as a crutch…and in a way—a sick way, Setsuna knew—she wanted to feel the agony. It reminded her that this was indeed reality and not…not a dream.

The dreams Tsukuyomi had woven using the Psychi Kinigi spell had made everything feel easy and well. Despair had only returned when she had woken from the lies.

Or she was just being stubbornly masochist again, as Asuna liked to accuse of her.

Setsuna’s fingers fumbled on her shirt, but finally she managed to yank it off, feeling a rush of unease when the cool bathroom air touched her bare skin.

Oh god…Brutally, Setsuna tore off her underwear, ignoring the burn of her injury and leap into the shower, nearly breaking the half-open shower door in her haste. She jerked the tap, flinching as ice-cold water spurted out of the showerhead onto her shoulders before slowly warming up. Her leg stung as the water washed out the wound, and Setsuna just let it happen, focusing on bracing herself against the tiled wall and not losing it entirely.

She couldn’t stand the sensation of touching her own body, but at the same time she couldn’t bear being dirty. Both took her mind to dark places…what irony. It figures that life would want to hand Setsuna Sakurazaki one big joke after another.

Quit whining and pull yourself together! The little sarcastic and scolding voice in her head changed depending on what Setsuna was admonishing herself about; Evangeline’s voice tended for her more stupid actions, Asuna’s for her stoic-warrior-nonsense…but the one Setsuna feared most was reserved for whenever she was just plain scared.

And fear was an emotion Setsuna had been swimming in far too much lately.

She fumbled for the soap bar, lathering it between her hands until she had two handfuls of soapy foam. Breathe, breathe, it’s not a big deal—she touched her own shoulder, still feeling okay at that contact. You’re fine. As her hands soaped downwards, Setsuna felt herself start to tremble again, despite her efforts to control her breathing and jitters.

It’s fine.

Water ran in warm rivelets down her back and arms, the droplets bleeding together and falling in fat drops onto the tile.

Cutting through the blinding pain in her chest was the creeping sensation of blood trailing down her stomach—

Setsuna gasped, inhaling a shuddering pant into her lungs and breaking her meditative breathing. It’s fine, there’s nothing to be scared of—it’s fine—it’s—

Shame and disgust burst from her gut, sending a wave of nausea to drive Setsuna to her knees. She banged her shoulder against the faucet but that didn’t faze her, and Setsuna clutched at her head, struggling to breathe through the tension in her chest.

*“Oh, my hopes had been so high, when you wanted me to touch you—”*

The shower door cracked as Setsuna practically tripped out of the stall, rolling to her feet right before she crashed into the opposite wall. Frantically, Setsuna seized her clothes and yanked them on, barely refraining from tearing the fabric when the sleeves or cuffs didn’t open for her limbs properly. It was hard and immensely uncomfortable to pull clothes on top of wet skin, but Setsuna kept at it, not even bothering with buttons or zippers before bursting out of the bathroom once she had covered herself enough to be decent.

There it was, leaning against her bunk. Setsuna seized Yuunagi, holding it tightly in her hands, her right fist trembling on the nodachi’s hilt.

She wasn’t back there. She was in Konoka’s house. She had Yuunagi, and with her trusted weapon there was no way anyone could get the jump on her to do anything against her will. She was safe.

Really? Tsukuyomi took you even with Yuunagi in your hands.

…

Setsuna really had to stop being so honest with herself.

**O**

*Let me in, tell me what it is you fear me to know…I will find out, I’m stronger than you, a mere half-demon—*

She held on, calling up memories of Konoka to piss Tsukuyomi off, and to keep herself sane and shivering behind the shield it provided against the cruel voice. She was playing with Konoka, tossing a ball between them—

Konoka was drowning.

Setsuna jumped into the river, and she grabbed for Konoka but they only splashed helplessly.

“Set-chan!” Konoka cried, and grabbed Setsuna around the shoulders, pushing her down into the water. Panic coursed through her—but Konoka was okay, she could breathe, but Setsuna was drowning, it was dark and violent—

She couldn’t breathe!

Konoka knew that she was more important than Setsuna…She was just using her right to use Setsuna’s life as she pleased…

“LIAR!” Setsuna screamed, jerking and feeling the ropes bite into her wrists. She couldn’t bear having Konoka become the villain in her mind, her memories, her…reality. That wasn’t what had happened!

Setsuna knew it wasn’t…

She believed that it wasn’t.

It wasn’t Konoka’s personality to think something like that, even if it really was Setsuna’s duty to give her life for her Ojou-sama. Setsuna fell back to her senses, opening her eyes frantically to see the dank cave ceiling above her, and feel the burn of the ropes on her wrists. She couldn’t bear having Tsukuyomi by her while she was so exposed, but at least she knew this was real.

This was the second day in a row where Konoka woke up feeling sluggish and feverish.

I just made up a high-level spell yesterday, and cast it successfully…can’t I sleep in? Konoka moaned and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Any moment, Asuna was going to barge in and tell her to get out of bed. And she knew that she had to; even assuming that Kyo had contacted their families about the success of her spell yesterday, she should really give Grandpa and Daddy a call herself. And she had promised Ethan-san that she’d go over the house budget with him, and she also had to start researching on the Ward spell origin…

But she was so tired, and her stomach was cramping, in that ambiguous way where she wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or sickness. And Konoka really didn’t want to be bothered to find out by getting out of bed.

She shifted, stretching a little to try and work the knots from her back. Her hand brushed Kyo’s pillow and Konoka pulled back quickly. Silly, she knew…she had done far more than touch his side of the bed, but still…it felt like there was still “his space” and “her space”, and Konoka knew that she wasn’t the only one to feel that awkward air in their room.

Finally, Konoka sat up, gingerly getting out of bed. Her stomach cramps eased a bit with the change in posture, and she yawned, wandering into the bathroom. A note was taped to the mirror, scripted as neatly as if it were a formal letter.

Konoka,

I’ll be spending the day at the Koyane Wards. After you completed your spell yesterday all the magical readings of the Wards changed, and so we are trying to establish new baseline readings.

If you could find out what the elements of the original spell were, and where the Mana Supply Anchors are, it would really help. Thanks.

Kyo

Konoka sighed, rolling her eyes and grousing, “Yeah, it might help if I had access to—”

She tore off the note, and found another one taped beneath it.

Log-in: Konoka
Temporary password: healermage

(But if you could please use my log-in for today, I’d appreciate it…I still have to get Grandmother’s approval for your account. I think she’ll say yes, but it might be easier if you just use mine for now.)

Admin-Log-in: Kyo Wallward
Password: kkkw432010grimoire

“Oh Kyo,” Konoka whispered, touched. He never quite said so, but she could tell that his family didn’t want her getting her own log-in to the Wallward database, despite the fact that she’s supposed to be part of their family now. While she doubted that they’d actually refuse Kyo’s request, she could guess that they’d be furious that he had brought it up himself instead of waiting for Konoka to ask.

And she couldn’t really blame the Wallwards. Eishun had been sparse in what information and privileges he had allowed Kyo to have too, not to mention the limited access Konoemon had finally given Kyo to Mahora only after they’d married, and not a moment before.

If things had been…different, Konoka supposed that maybe her family would have been more open with welcoming Konoka’s partner into the Konoe family. But with things as they are, even just a few months after their families had officially been joined it seemed like the in-laws were still working out what they hoped to gain from the union.

Leaving Kyo and Konoka to struggle along and try to make something meaningful of their marriage, when everyone around them only saw it for its advantages.

Even from her oldest friend, which hurt. It hurt a lot.

She had hoped that after a couple of months, that everyone would fall into some kind of “routine”…something that would make Konoka wake up and go through the day without thinking. Instead of trying to be Lady Konoka, Mrs. Konoe-Wallward, Kyo’s Wife, she really would feel like her.

So that when Konoka walked past Setsuna in the hallway she really would just glance at her and think “Setsuna-san”, instead of instantly being hit with the reminder that this was her Set-chan.

And that she isn’t Konoka’s anymore.

But how could Konoka forget? She kept dreaming about what-could-have-beens.

The worst part was that some of her dreams weren’t imaginary at all. And so Konoka would relieve moments when she had been in love…and then wake up in reality.

**O**

She’ll kill Tsukuyomi one day.

The pain now was nothing—Setsuna could bear it. Indeed, she was vaguely thrilled at the scent of blood, even if it was her own. It made Setsuna shiver with bated breath, just waiting for when she could tear into warm flesh and laugh in her revenge.

Just wait it out.

Wait patiently.

And your enemy will give you a chance…show you their weakness, an opening to be exploited.

Setsuna was waiting.

Pain was easy to bear. The Psychi Kinigi less so, but the confusion and despair caused by the mind games didn’t matter that much to Setsuna in this state. That was for her weaker side to deal with, while her duty was to get them through this ordeal intact enough to exact their revenge.

Footsteps sounded out of her field of vision, warning Setsuna that her enemy was here. Tsukuyomi walked up beside the bed, running a knife along the bed rail. She put a knee on the bed and reached for Setsuna’s hands, still bound above her head.

“Finally, Setsuna…I found—”

Setsuna felt the binds give.

Tsukuyomi shrieked as Setsuna erupted off the bed, tearing her raw wrists from the cut cords to seize her captor around the throat. Setsuna dug her fingers in—she meant to throw both of them to the floor to use gravity to her advantage, but it wasn’t necessary since Tsukuyomi didn’t have any strength in her struggles, to Setsuna’s mild surprise. Oddly, the spectacled swordswoman had dropped her knife instead of slashing Setsuna’s throat; she must have caught Tsukuyomi well off guard.

Oh yes, it felt so good to feel the shock of Tsukuyomi’s struggling through her hands, to feel the panic and life slipping out of her enemy’s gasping lips breath by breath…

Setsuna laughed.

“So, find who you expected?” She taunted, watching the last light fade from Tsukuyomi’s dark eyes—

…Her enemy had light eyes.

Setsuna blinked, and blond hair turned brunette in that instant.

And Tsukuyomi’s face vanished, replaced by someone Setsuna would recognize in any shape or disguise—even bloated in death.

“…Kono-chan?” whispered Setsuna.

No.

No. No no no no no…

Setsuna screamed, a guttural sound tearing from her throat as she threw herself backwards, writhing on the bed and sobbing. She did this…this is what the stronger part of her was. A murderer. A destroyer of everything that she loved.

Konoka’s body lay heavily on Setsuna’s chest, still warm enough to give off the appearance as if she was still alive. Setsuna needed to find that knife that her Kono-chan had dropped. She needed it…but she couldn’t bear to touch Konoka to move her.

Tsukuyomi rested her chin on her folded hands, gazing at Setsuna with patient calmness. She had dispensed with her bonnet, although she still had the jaunty purple bows in her hair. She still didn’t look any less deadly and deceivingly delicate.

“Are you ready to say it now?”

Setsuna stirred, feeling the raw skin of her wrists burn as they rubbed against the blood-soaked ropes. Alone in the chamber with just her enemy for company, with no knowledge of the days—it could have been hours or years. Lying on her back with her wrists bound made her breathing come shallowly, her pale and sweat-soaked skin trembling as strands of Tsukuyomi’s hair brushed lightly across her bare stomach.

Something had caved inside of her, falling silently into the hollow where her heart was. As if her emotional understanding of herself had to mirror the quiet wreckage of her mind, Setsuna could feel her strength slipping like cold meltwater through the cracks between her fingers. Dripping away and leaving behind only a damp numbness.

Her lips worked weakly, barely whispering an audible sound. “…What was the question?”

Tsukuyomi bent over Setsuna’s prone form and kissed her lightly, pulling back from Setsuna’s motionless lips to look her in the eyes. Cupping Setsuna’s cheek as sweetly as a lover, Tsukuyomi smiled triumphantly.

“Instead of always carrying her with you, now you have me.”

November 23, 2007

**O**

Same dayKyoto, Kansai Magic Association

Tsukuyomi

Tsukuyomi grinned, pushing her glasses up with a finger.

She was incredibly tempted to reach out and flick the tip of her katan across the unobservant maid’s throat, but she just managed to restraing herself. Attracting attention to herself today wasn’t idea; and besides, she wasn’t going to taint her favourite blade that way.

She was saving it for special occasions.

Once the maid moved on Tsukuyomi continued on her mission. It really was far too easy to move around once she had by-passed the perimeter security—the Kansai Magic Association put far too much trust in their spells and passcodes. Simple spells that the Shinmeiryuu taught all their students about, and passcodes that hadn’t changed since a full month ago when a helpful guard had told her the “safe passage” words. All she had used was a simple threat: only that she would stick a knife into his gut if he lied to her; hardly anything to fret about. Tsukuyomi was disappointed at how easy it had been.

Truly, no one was as fun as her Senpai.

Ah, here it was.

Tsukuyomi slipped a length of purple silk through the bars, moving along undetected. She knew that the recipient would recongize it as one of her hair ribbons.

Her next target was just a few rooms down, and she let the silk pool into a shadowed spot by the door, disappearing out of sight when a mage-guard came by, mindlessly on his routine patrol.

Don’t kill him. Not even to mess with him for fun. Really, Tsukuyomi was just dying to reach out and pluck his tanto from his belt…and it would be so easy to get him in the kidney with it, he was so close and so clueless…but no. Restraint.

This was only the first part of her plans, after all. No need to overly complicate things so soon.

Five minutes later, she was back outside the prison wing. Ten minutes later, she was out of the property boundaries, strolling along the sidewalk and humming a tune.

Really, she didn’t need the demon summoner or the politician. But to her aggravation, she still had a few loose ends that needed tying—or cutting off. And while she wasn’t silly enough to believe that the enemy of her enemy was anything remotely close to “friend”, Tsukuyomi could play nice with allies. She had used Fate just as much as he had used her, after all.

Anyways, now they knew that she would be coming for them.

But patience…Tsukuyomi was waiting for the perfect moment.

“Oh, this is so exciting,” she gushed, skipping for a few steps. Lifting her katana, Tsukuyomi trembled with excitement as she touched the bloody feather tied on her sword’s hilt to her lips.

Just the taste brought back so many nice memories…

Soon.

She hadn’t drawn her sword for three years, just waiting for the coming day.

Very soon.

The world can burn for all Tsukuyomi cared, as long as she had her Senpai in the end.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

This chapter was a little more laid-back, a breather episode, if you will, leading into the next arc . It also gave me a chance to show some things that I haven’t had time to get into in the previous more fast-paced chapters.

And yes, the multiple mood whiplashes and fan disservice were intentional . This is not a pretty story I’m crafting here.

....

Can I still vote for the Kyo/Konoka and Hazan/Setsuna ending? Please? Pretty please?

And hey-o, Tsukyuomi! Um, I mean.... damn, look what she did to Setsuna. Certainly goes a long way in explaining how messed up she is, though I have to admit I was kind of confused reading through this chapter. I felt like I missed something important and got thrown into something totally different. But maybe that's just because I haven't read the story in awhile.

Also, Mana kicks ass. She deserves a fanfic about her. She's too badass to not have one.

Ethan still bugs me a little. I get that he's Kyo's friend, but... argh. I guess it's a little annoying to have him aware in some way that Setsuna likes Konoka. They have already managed to screw themselves up, so having an outside party who's unaware of the entire situation but disapproves of Setsuna's attraction is just a tad annoying. More negative energy can't possibly make them more messed up than they are already. Not that I can blame him for having something against Setsuna... she doesn't exactly do a lot to endear herself to... well, anyone at this point.

I was worried when writing that scene that people might mis-interpret it as Ethan having a thing for Setsuna , so I'm glad that it was clear enough what he really suspected! Having plot actually hampered me sometimes, as I have to keep the plot going in each chapter and yet still devote enough time to all the characters and their relationships, so Setsuna seems quite dramatically angsty without having many chances for me to show her being slightly more normal . But yeah, she's not exactly making herself likable to anyone...

Quote:

I think I've said it before, but I feel bad for Kyo. I can't think of anything he could have possibly done to deserve getting thrown in to the KonoSetsu whirlwind of idiocy/angst. And, well, just the fact that he's married to someone who is in love with someone else is a little depressing. Can he have a happy ending?

As sorry as I feel for Setsuna, I feel sorrier for Konoka and Kyo, for the reasons that you mentioned (and that were mentioned in the chapter). And Kyo, have a happy ending? Depends on which ending idea I decide to go with...

Quote:

YES! Tsukuyomi craziness! Er, I mean, poor Setsuna.

Tsukuyomi did quite the impressive job on her... and fan disservice or not, their scenes were my favorite. Not only do they explain quite a bit of what's wrong with Setsuna right now (Setsuna angst, yay!), they showed Tsukuyomi at her best. All very disturbing and incredibly enjoyable. I can't wait to see what her present plans lead to.

*grabs popcorn and semi-patiently waits for next chapter*

Also, Hazan/Setsuna hints are fun and happy.

I had an easy yet hard time writing the Tsukuyomi and Setsuna scenes...I knew what I wanted to get across in them but actually writing them were tricky . I'm glad you liked them!

I swear, if I hadn't made Setsuna so blindly devoted, I'd be tempted to write a little side romance....

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

....

Can I still vote for the Kyo/Konoka and Hazan/Setsuna ending? Please? Pretty please?

Well now, that would be too easy, wouldn't it? ^^

Quote:

And hey-o, Tsukyuomi! Um, I mean.... damn, look what she did to Setsuna. Certainly goes a long way in explaining how messed up she is, though I have to admit I was kind of confused reading through this chapter. I felt like I missed something important and got thrown into something totally different. But maybe that's just because I haven't read the story in awhile.

Also, Mana kicks ass. She deserves a fanfic about her. She's too badass to not have one.

Yeah, sorry about the confusion....I wrote it that way since I wanted the reader to experience what Setsuna was experiencing--so as the flashback scenes went on, Setsuna wasn't always sure what was real and what wasn't, and also whether or not her own memories were dependable (hence why I started putting the flashback dates at the end of the passage, to not spoil whether or not it was a legitimate flashback or one of Tsukuyomi's tricks).

Tangent trivia, this concept of Tsukuyomi really bringing out the psychological torture was something that I came up with early on that made everything fall together, as I had some plot holes before . A bonus was that I got a chance to write about what scares me the most: not knowing whether or not my memories are dependable, and related to that, being unsure whether or not something actually happened. The mind is supposed to be a safe place after all, and so being unsure of it terrifies me. Hopefully, I'm doing okay in showing just how much that messed up Setsuna .

I fear I'm writing Mana pretty OOC , but hey, if people like it then why mess with a good thing? ^^

Another chapter starts. With the guest star you never expected to see! And no, he probably won't show up again in like an eternity.

Spoiler for A cookie to whoever identifies the cameo.:

Interlude.

At Mahora, it was dawning.

At a world of distance, across oceans and continents, night was falling, and a distinguished, aloof looking black haired man with gray temples sat in a lotus position at the middle of a large darkened library. While levitating a few feet over the floor, keeping his gaze fixed on a large swirling pool of arcane energies gathered below him.

The pale early moonlight entered through the large windows decorated with intrincated spider webbing-like patterns. And the old brownstone mansion at 177A Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, remained silent and peaceful, as much as the relaxed, focused mindset of its owner.

"Master" a male voice tinted with a thick Tibetan accent calmly called from the library's door, grave and dignified, with a serene aplomb to it. "Your dinner already has been prepared. Will you prefer to eat it cold in one hour, or icy in two?".

"The winds of destiny are changing their course yet again, Wong" the other man grimly stated, without looking back at him. "Like twin roulettes sent to spin out of control, two worlds are about to start another approach, another attempt to unite their ultimate fates. Even us are nothing but pieces thrown around in that maelstrom".

"I beg your pardon, Master?" the bald, robed servant asked.

"It starts the same way it always does, at a school, with a simple dream and a naive dreamer" the mage mused, evocatively. "And yet, the darkness of the background already has started to seep into his life. Soon, he shall have to choose a path. So far, all those paths have led to the same general outcome. An outcome even I have not been able to modify yet".

Wong crossed his hands behind his own back. "I assume there is some point on telling me that beyond confusing me, Master? Or are you simply stalling for time until you feel actually hungry?".

"There is no need for sarcasm, Wong" he said. "You cannot remember any of it, of course. No one can. No one but me and her". The swirling pool briefly took on the shape of a fair skinned female face with bright, determined dark eyes. "But yes, you and me have had this conversation before".

"There is no conversation with you I have not felt I have not had before, Master" Wong quickly replied.

The seemingly younger man almost smiled, amused, and yet a tired shadow loomed on his features. "Ah, my old friend. If only I could share your blissful ignorance of the full scope".

The manservant took a quick glare to the girl's image. "I suppose... she does not know you do know".

"She should. She knows my rank, even if she has not ever met me. She also should suspect something... or someone... has stabilized the whole flux of time long enough for her to continue her attempts".

"Attempts you wouldn't directly help her with, Master?" the Eastern man doubted, hazarding a guess.

"It is not my place to take a direct side with her or against her. To some degree, this is her task, her duty, as much as his. Only when her path and his reach complete harmony we shall be able to break the cycle".

"Oh. Naturally".

"Wong, I am the ultimate catalyst. To that end, I must be neutral in everything but the most dire threats to the world of magic. I am the final resource, but I cannot take them by a hand and guide them all across the way. No, despite what you may be thinking, I am not going to interfere. The world of humans and the world of magic must learn to coexist by themselves, or all I stand for will be in vain".

Chisame nearly jumped out of her bed, not to mention her skin, when the horrified yelp coming from the other side of the room woke her up.

"Wha—? Wha—?" with a haunted look in her sleep deprived eyes, she babbled looking into Negi's direction. "Who? When? How many dead?".

"I-I-I-I think Karakuri-san has just died!!" the boy shrieked, frantically pointing with a hand to the limp robotic body lifelessly sitting at his side. "This is horrible! I woke up to find her like this! She... She was so young, too..." he sobbed.

Chisame hesitated, blushing a bit all of a sudden. "Wh-What have you just 'understood' from my words?".

"Nothing" he sheepishly confessed.

"I'm relieved" she replied. Then she climbed down to shake the heavy sleeping black haired girl like a doll of her own. "HAKASEEEE!! THE NOBEL PRIZE COMMITEE HAS JUST CALLED!".

The shorter girl's eyes were open instantly then. "Itsahonortoaccepthisprizefor—" she mumbled before realizing how gray the reality around her was. "Oh, Chisame!" she whined. "That's a mean trick and you know it!".

The hacker pushed Satomi's face around to make her look at Chachamaru. "Your Terminator has just scared Sensei out of his wits! Wind her up before I grow tired and just use her as a mannequin for Chiu's costumes!".

"Ah. Eh. Okay" Hakase clumsily waddled out of bed. "Step aside, if you please, Sensei. Thats' it, what a nice gentleman". She knelt down next to Chachamaru. "Please open the first drawer of my desk and bring me the large key in there".

With a nod, Negi walked to the appointed desk and pulled a big key that wouldn't have looked out of place in a giant toy prop. "Is this what you wish for, Hakase-san?" he asked.

"Yes. Hand it to me".

Obediently, Negi did as he was indicated. Satomi then inserted the key into a big slot on the back of the robot's head and motioned for him to get closer.

"Now listen, Sensei" she instructed. "Once a day, Chachamaru needs an infusion of magical energy to continue performing her vital cycles. That infusion is done by a magically charged subject winding her up by using this key. Evangeline-san used to do it, but now you will have to suffice".

"Me?" he helplessly asked.

"Is there any other magic user in the room?" Satomi asked as she grabbed both his hands and placed them on the key. "It isn't difficult at all. Just twist it around until she asks for you to stop".

"Oh... Very well. I will do my best at this 'screwing' thing to make the three of you proud and happy!" he gasped, gathering his determination up.

"... There's no way you had no clue of what you just said!" Chisame's face had just gained a thick crimson hue.

Slowly, very slowly at first, Negi began to wind Chachamaru up, remembering those times when he used to play with toys, before entering Merdiana Academy. For the first few moments of it, nothing happened, but then, a soft single gasp barely escaped the robot's lips.

"Oh".

The boy smiled with relief. "Ahh, how nice... She's all right after all...".

"You have injected new life into her" Hakase commented.

"Do we need to do it every morning, then?" Negi questioned.

"At the morning, at midnight, even at school... at any time you two feel like it, actually" Satomi said.

"Isn't it something improper to do at school?" Negi doubted.

"A short screwing at the classroom won't hurt anyone" Hakase stated.

Chisame returned to her bed and hid her face into her pillow. "My God, I feel dirty just by listening at you!".

"Ah. Ah, ah" Chachamaru lifted her head a bit.

"Is it... right for her to do this?" the teacher seemed more taken aback now.

"It just means you are revving her up" the scientist remained calmed. "It's okay, she likes it. As long as you don't go too rough on her, she'll be fine. You are doing remarkably well for your first time".

He blushed at the acknowledgement. "Well, thank you... To be honest, I always worry about my performances...".

"Not yet. Her mouth says 'No', but her body says 'Yes'" Hakase guided him. "I mean, it's a natural reaction. Her programming has not advanced enough to understand her actual breaking point. But her body still needs some more of it. Okay, here it comes. Here it comes...".

Chisame heard nothing but an odd pause then, and she lifted her face up from the pillow to look at the scene again. A pleased looking Satomi and Negi sat behind Chachamaru, who had recovered her usual emotionless appearance.

"Was it good?" Negi hopefully and gently asked, patting the robot on a shoulder.

"Yes" Chachamaru took the key off and handed it back to him. "You are... kind and considerate at it. You are not very skilled, but you will improve with practice".

"Oh, he will get a lot of practice, you can be sure of that" Hakase proudly gave him a few pats on the back. "I'll personally train him at it!".

Chisame just kept on looking down at the three of them, with jaded and cynical eyes.

"Hasegawa-san?" Negi innocently stared up at her bunk. "Is there something troubling you?".

Chisame nearly jumped out of her bed, not to mention her skin, when the horrified yelp coming from the other side of the room woke her up.

"Wha—? Wha—?" with a haunted look in her sleep deprived eyes, she babbled looking into Negi's direction. "Who? When? How many dead?".

"I-I-I-I think Karakuri-san has just died!!" the boy shrieked, frantically pointing with a hand to the limp robotic body lifelessly sitting at his side. "This is horrible! I woke up to find her like this! She... She was so young, too..." he sobbed.

Chisame hesitated, blushing a bit all of a sudden. "Wh-What have you just 'understood' from my words?".

"Nothing" he sheepishly confessed.

"I'm relieved" she replied. Then she climbed down to shake the heavy sleeping black haired girl like a doll of her own. "HAKASEEEE!! THE NOBEL PRIZE COMMITEE HAS JUST CALLED!".

The shorter girl's eyes were open instantly then. "Itsahonortoaccepthisprizefor—" she mumbled before realizing how gray the reality around her was. "Oh, Chisame!" she whined. "That's a mean trick and you know it!".

The hacker pushed Satomi's face around to make her look at Chachamaru. "Your Terminator has just scared Sensei out of his wits! Wind her up before I grow tired and just use her as a mannequin for Chiu's costumes!".

"Ah. Eh. Okay" Hakase clumsily waddled out of bed. "Step aside, if you please, Sensei. Thats' it, what a nice gentleman". She knelt down next to Chachamaru. "Please open the first drawer of my desk and bring me the large key in there".

With a nod, Negi walked to the appointed desk and pulled a big key that wouldn't have looked out of place in a giant toy prop. "Is this what you wish for, Hakase-san?" he asked.

"Yes. Hand it to me".

Obediently, Negi did as he was indicated. Satomi then inserted the key into a big slot on the back of the robot's head and motioned for him to get closer.

"Now listen, Sensei" she instructed. "Once a day, Chachamaru needs an infusion of magical energy to continue performing her vital cycles. That infusion is done by a magically charged subject winding her up by using this key. Evangeline-san used to do it, but now you will have to suffice".

"Me?" he helplessly asked.

"Is there any other magic user in the room?" Satomi asked as she grabbed both his hands and placed them on the key. "It isn't difficult at all. Just twist it around until she asks for you to stop".

"Oh... Very well. I will do my best at this 'screwing' thing to make the three of you proud and happy!" he gasped, gathering his determination up.

"... There's no way you had no clue of what you just said!" Chisame's face had just gained a thick crimson hue.

Slowly, very slowly at first, Negi began to wind Chachamaru up, remembering those times when he used to play with toys, before entering Merdiana Academy. For the first few moments of it, nothing happened, but then, a soft single gasp barely escaped the robot's lips.

"Oh".

The boy smiled with relief. "Ahh, how nice... She's all right after all...".

"You have injected new life into her" Hakase commented.

"Do we need to do it every morning, then?" Negi questioned.

"At the morning, at midnight, even at school... at any time you two feel like it, actually" Satomi said.

"Isn't it something improper to do at school?" Negi doubted.

"A short screwing at the classroom won't hurt anyone" Hakase stated.

Chisame returned to her bed and hid her face into her pillow. "My God, I feel dirty just by listening at you!".

"Ah. Ah, ah" Chachamaru lifted her head a bit.

"Is it... right for her to do this?" the teacher seemed more taken aback now.

"It just means you are revving her up" the scientist remained calmed. "It's okay, she likes it. As long as you don't go too rough on her, she'll be fine. You are doing remarkably well for your first time".

He blushed at the acknowledgement. "Well, thank you... To be honest, I always worry about my performances...".

"Not yet. Her mouth says 'No', but her body says 'Yes'" Hakase guided him. "I mean, it's a natural reaction. Her programming has not advanced enough to understand her actual breaking point. But her body still needs some more of it. Okay, here it comes. Here it comes...".

Chisame heard nothing but an odd pause then, and she lifted her face up from the pillow to look at the scene again. A pleased looking Satomi and Negi sat behind Chachamaru, who had recovered her usual emotionless appearance.

"Was it good?" Negi hopefully and gently asked, patting the robot on a shoulder.

"Yes" Chachamaru took the key off and handed it back to him. "You are... kind and considerate at it. You are not very skilled, but you will improve with practice".

"Oh, he will get a lot of practice, you can be sure of that" Hakase proudly gave him a few pats on the back. "I'll personally train him at it!".

Chisame just kept on looking down at the three of them, with jaded and cynical eyes.

"Hasegawa-san?" Negi innocently stared up at her bunk. "Is there something troubling you?".

"I need a cold shower" she reluctantly admitted.

The only thing that stopped me from laughing out loud was that my brother was sleeping just a few meters away and he would wake up if I did.

"Good morning, Negi-kun!" Sakaki Makie chirped happily as she passed by running next to the quartet on their way to school.

"Good morning, Negi-sensei, girls!" Konoe Konoka said while rollerblading her way along with an indifferent Asuna. "Ah, you are early today!".

"Actually, I think it's us who are late" Asuna mumbled as she kept her fast pace on, and quickly she and her roommate left the others behind.

"Negi-sensei, one of your shoes is cleaner than the other. You should clean them both equally!" the long haired Kitsu Chiri from Class 2-F sternly pointed out, as she also passed by followed by a blissfully skipping and humming Fuura Kafuka.

Chisame groaned to herself. Things looked almost like the same old lunacy now, as if nothing had happened at all last night. And yet, they were stuck with Chachamaru following her and Hakase, with Negi dragging behind almost reluctantly.

"Sensei!" Chisame called back, annoyed. "Hurry up back there! We'll be the last ones to arrive... again! What kind of example will you set for your students?".

"Ubububu..." he softly babbled. "I don't know how will we face Mc Dowell-san from now on...".

"What is there to fear for?" Hakase told him, low enough to be unheard by the other students. "Without Chachamaru, she is no threat at all for us".

Then she felt someone suddenly catching up to her and hissing into her ear in a sinister tone, "Don't ever underestimate the Mistress of Darkness...".

"KYAH!" Satomi cringed aside, shocked despite herself.

Chisame grumbled at the newcomer. Kasuga Misora had just reached them almost from nowhere; the only effort she seemed to be making was an effort to NOT leave them behind. "Kasuga, please! We aren't in the mood for any of your stupid pranks".

"Whoever said I'm joking now?" Misora looked at her eyes. "I'm dead serious" she struggled to keep her voice low. "Last night was just a setback for her, I'm sure. Someone as fearsome and hideously evil as her won't quit that easily!".

"Good morning to you too, Negi-kun" the sprinter nun smiled back to him, softening her expression. "I don't have a working shift at the church today, so what if we spend the afternoon together?" she invited.

"Oh?" he blinked.

"Ehh?" Chisame blinked as well.

Misora laughed. "Well, I thought it'd be nice to... talk about what to do next now we have a common link between us!".

"Between you two?" the hacker implied rather pointedly.

"Well, between us all, actually" Kasuga agreed against her will. "I guess you girls can come too".

"Like a... circle of friends?" Chisame made a face.

"I have a few things to do after classes" Chachamaru quietly spoke. "But I would be honored to meet with you after that".

"You won't be going back to the Tea Ceremony Club" Satomi forbad strictly. "Not as long as Evangeline-san is there too".

"Hakase-san, please, isn't it bad, to decide those things for her?" their teacher stressed.

"It's not about the Club" the robot stated passively. "It is... something else".

Even Chisame and Misora looked curious about it now, but before they could ask, they had reached the school building.

"Fine" Hasegawa mumbled. "After classes, we'll go to Karakuri's activities, then we'll listen to what you have to say, Kasuga. Are you okay with that, Sensei? Hakase?".

"Yes, it sounds fine" Negi nodded.

Satomi adjusted her glasses, giving her creation an intrigued glare. "I suppose... I can skip my club activities just for this day".

Yet Tatsumiya Mana's quick pace did not slow down at all as she marched through the North borders of the school grounds, holding a huge backpack easily hung around her left shoulder. So the much shorter, redheaded girl with her hair collected into four long pigtails tied with green bows had to almost run to catch up to her; it always amazed her how the tall and tanned beauty could walk so fast with so little effort, and no apparent hurry.

"Mana-Oneesama, you're so mean to me!" the petite female panted. "You know my legs are so much shorter than yours!".

"I thought the point of your training was having you trying to reach my level, not having me lowering my level to yours". Calmly, flatly, without bothering to look back, the black haired teenager had answered.

The redhead pouted in a way that almost made her face to inflate, which, along with her tentacle like pigtails nearly snaking around, made her oddly similar to a cartoony octopus for a moment. "Don't mock me!".

Mana made no reply, no further sound. She just kept on walking at the same pace. The pigtailed girl had to rush after her once more to keep up to her.

"Anyway, now that we are away from everyone, can you finally tell me why are we skipping classes today?" she asked.

"The Headmaster called early today" Mana said in a low, serious tone. "Something managed to pass through the barrier near this area around 4:00 A.M., Shiho".

The younger girl, around thirteen years old at most, cringed a little. "H-how big?".

"Nothing too large in size, apparently, but often the small monsters are the worst ones. As you have taught me". She looked back, giving her a dry and wry half-smile.

"I never joke" the tall female looked ahead once more. "But there's more. The reports also say something else left a major residual magical imprint around this area last night".

The shorter girl in the traditional red hakama and white haori jacket looked up at her identically clothed sempai. "Do you think it has something to do with the vampire scare?".

"Yes. It is the most likely alternative".

Munakata Shiho shuddered, getting closer to her. Then she paused, looking at the gigantic and majestic tree that towered over the whole campus in the distance. "Mana-Oneesama?" she asked.

"Yes?".

"Maybe I should try to do it this week?".

Mana took a brief glimpse into the tree's direction, then shook her head. "I don't believe you are ready yet. And neither is he".

"But at this rate, some other girl will declare herself to Oniichan first sooner or later!".

"Somehow, I doubt it" Mana stated bluntly.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean? Oniichan has everything a girl could wish for!".

"Other than presence, intelligence, wealth and charisma, you mean?" the dark skinned young woman asked, rather devoid of bitterness, barely questioning in an almost casual way.

"You'll never get married with that attitude, Oneesama" the apprentice humphed.

"I hope so" she stopped, then tensed up, gesturing for Shiho to stop and hush as well. "I think I can feel it" she whispered. "Behind those bushes. Get your charms ready".

With a soft gulping sound, the short girl nodded, quickly pulling a few paper wards out of her long sleeves in a single switft motion. Meanwhile, much faster than that, Tatsumiya unzipped her bag and pulled a large sniper rifle out of it, aiming it towards one of the bushes. The bush suddenly trembled and rustled, and then it seemed to explode to life as Mana shot it and Shiho threw a few wards on it, right after muttering a nervous rapid prayer.

Dodging both the bullet and the pieces of blessed paper, the tiny white blur that had just jumped out into the open ran away as fast as the wind, clutching something into its mouth. Mana took aim again, then shot once more, missing again much to her frustration.

"Wow!" Shiho gasped behind her. "It's good, Oneesama! I never had seen you missing ever before!.

"Kuso" the tall Miko grunted. Now the thing was fully out of sight, lost in the forest, as fast as it had appeared. "Shiho, did you get to see what was it carrying?".

Ookuchi Akira stepped out of the dressing room, clad in her dark blue one piece school swimsuit, with a thoughtful expression on her features.

After classes, the Swimming Club was taking over the large indoor pool, but for some reason, Akira just couldn't put her heart into it today. Her mind kept going back to the events of the prior night. She just knew there was something off with the story Hakase had told them. If Hasegawa and her roommates had arrived to the room after the 'vampire' had left, why had Negi-sensei ran away after it? How could he know which way had it taken? And how could he go out so quickly, before she and Ako came? Jumping through the window? And why had Hasegawa gone out of her room wearing not but a wrapped bedsheet?

It just didn't add together at all. A Kazumi or Haruna would have pursued the mystery to its ultimate consequences, but Akira preferred to let it slide. For now, at least. Still, it was troubling, and she was sure Ako felt the same way.

The graceful tall girl walked to the pool's edge, ignoring the boys' glares and leerings from the other side of the fence. As always, they gathered around to watch the girls before their own instructor arrived. She was a favorite of them, and she had grown used to it, but even she stopped being the centre of attention when Kuga-sempai emerged out of the pool.

With water droplets glistening all over her slender but fit body, the swimsuit clad Kuga Natsuki stepped out, like a dreamy mermaid becoming human before her adoring subjects. Whenever she did that, even the other girls paused and took notice, drinking on her serene, dignified beauty.

"I wish I could have a body like Kuga-san's" someone whispered.

"She's like a model" they chattered.

"But she's very conceited" another girl confided quietly. "I heard she's a delinquent, too. She even rides a motorcycle, from what Aoi-sempai told me...".

Without saying a single word, not hearing or not caring about the rumors, Kuga marched away as Akira kept on calmly looking at her, until she was out of sight. The older girl went into the dressers, where several of her own classmates were toweling off and putting their clothes back on.

Class 2-F was a few meters away, pondering the disappearance of their own undergarments.

"There can be only one explanation for this!" Chiri scowled deeply, tightening a fist up and holding it near her meager chest, with bloody revenge burning in her eyes. "There is a shameless pervert between us!".

"Oh, come on, Chiri-chan!" her friend Kafuka laughed, waving a hand around dismissively. "There's no way a perverted underwear thief, the kind of dangerous sex offender we only see in the metropolitan news, is on the loose at this Academy!".

"Then what do you think it is?" their classmate Tsunetsuki Matoi asked.

"It has to be... an Underwear Gnome!" Kafuka said, very sure of herself.

"Say what?!" Chiri exclaimed.

"The Underwear Gnomes are known everywhere from America, especially Colorado, to Japan" Kafuka lectured. "They collect underpants and similar items for profit. My mother told me a lot of stories about an infamous and twisted Gnome who roamed this area when she was young. He stole the panties of all girls until two brave martial artists caught him and locked him up at a cave at the hills! No doubt he's back for revenge now!".

Natsuki huffed while finished drying her long black hair. The inanities of those girls sickened her. She stood up from her bench and quickly walked to her locker, willing to go back to her target's pursuit as soon as possible.

She opened its door up and looked inside. Then she cringed, screeching her teeth.

"Something wrong, Kuga-san?" Akane asked her, blinking curiously.

Natsuki turned around fast, slamming the door close and leaning her back against it. "What could be wrong?" she asked dangerously.

"Well, it's just you always wear such expenssive bras and panties, I thought you could have been hit as well..." the girl with brown hair hesitated.

"Nonsense. Of course I haven't been hit" Kuga grumbled, looking aside. "No way I'd let something like that to happen to me".

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Akane apologized. "You are always watchful and alert, so it's simply to be expected...".

Natsuki had to nod, forcing a feral smirk of self-confidence.

A few minutes later, she awkwardly walked in a stiff fashion through the halls of Mahora, holding her skirt down in a way that almost seemed self-betraying to her attempts to look natural. She couldn't wear her wet swimsuit under her uniform, so she was stuck with that situation until she could reach the Student Council's offices and ask Shizuru for a spare or something. She knew she couldn't trust anyone else on it.

So far, she had been lucky, not running into anyone else. But then she saw her target coming along, followed by his roommates, Shakti's assistant, and that strange girl who looked like a robot. Oh no, out of all the times to find him...

"I still can't help being worried about Ayase-san" Negi was commenting. "I wonder why can't we visit her...".

"I heard from Asakura she lost a lot more blood than me, and she's smaller and weaker than me to start with" Misora confided them. "I figure it's okay. Ako and Shizuna-sensei are with her, after all".

"The kid teacher, I know" Natsuki nodded quickly, cursing the fact that hall was so narrow and she just couldn't rush past them like that. "Sorry about not making it to classes lately. Been busy. Still am, so if you excuse me—".

"Is there something I can help you with?" Negi still stood in her way, cluelessly. "You only have to ask—".

"No, there isn't!" Kuga fumbled with the words. "Can you please just step aside? I have no time to waste!".

"Why so angry, Sempai?" Misora asked. "Sensei was just asking you a question...".

Then Negi suddenly seemed about to sneeze. Panicking, Chisame silently pulled a tissue out at full speed and pressed it against his nose. He thanked her with a smile and a nod, blew his nose off as politely as a child could, and smiled in some embarrassment up at Natsuki. "Sorry about that, Kuga-san" he said, the sneeze threat apparently over. "If you have something urgent to do, please do it. But don't keep on skipping classes, okay?".

"I'll see what can I do" the girl began to walk past him. Then her long hair brushed accidentally against his nose.

It was only a small sneeze. Not enough to blow any clothes off, but enough to blow a skirt up. And there was nothing to shred up under it.

Negi, Chisame and Misora stared in paralyzed shock. Hakase merely made a brief disapproving face. Chachamaru's expression did not change at all.

Natsuki stood petrified for a moment, before pulling her skirt back down, her face painted red all over. The boy was stuttering a terrified apology, turning his head around and blushing like crazy. The other girls simply kept on looking at her, not saying a single thing.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" Even now, Misora was laughing so hard her face was red. "Oh, man! Oh, man, that look on Kuga-sempai's face! It was priceless! The only thing that would have made it better is if Kazumi had been there with a camera!".

Chisame took a disgusted sideglare at her. "I ask you again, exactly what kind of nun are you?".

"It is perfectly okay to make fun of those who go commando" Misora said while wiping the laughter tears off her eyes. "It's, um, a sin deserving mockery".

"Where in your Bible do they say that?" the hacker asked. After her own incidents with the stripping sneeze, she couldn't help but feeling some sympathy for Natsuki's plight.

"It's, er, in the Book of Ruth, Chapter 3, Verse 4" Kasuga quickly made her excuse.

"No, it isn't" Hakase calmly denied from where she stood, flipping through the latest Popular Mechanics magazine. The three of them waited next to a magazine stand right outside a small grocery store at the outskirts of Mahora City.

Misora shot the genius a frustrated glare. "You're an atheist, what can you know about the Bible?".

"My lack of belief on its doctrines doesn't mean I haven't studied its text. It has no scientific value, but it still counts as enough of a social and historical implement to merit some research, back when I hadn't decided on a specialty yet" Satomi explained with extreme tranquility.

Misora groaned. "Hey, Chisame-chan. You know, I have found a new sense of respect for your everyday patience".

"I am a martyr of science" Chisame agreed, nodding solemnly.

Chachamaru and Negi walked out of the store then. "Sorry for keeping you waiting!" the boy teacher apologized.

"We can be on our way now" the robot sedately said, holding a bag full with several cans in a hand.

"What's that for, Chachamaru?" Misora asked her.

"It's for... some friends". Keeping her face low, the living machine started to walk away, the four humans following her closely.

"It isn't a trap you're setting for us, right?" Kasuga distrusted.

"No" Chachamaru denied passively.

"Who are those 'friends'?" Satomi scowled. "You never had mentioned them in your personal performance reports".

"I considered they were of no interest for your research fields" the gynoid stated.

They continued walking down the street until they ran into a little black haired girl bawling her eyes out. Concerned, Negi rushed to her side. "What's wrong? Can we help you with something?".

"My-My balloon!" the seven-years old sniffed, pointing up to a tree. "My balloon slipped from my hand and now is stuck in there!".

Chachamaru lifted her head up, focusing her eyes on the treetop. "The object has been located. Still functional, trapped between two upper branches. I will retrieve it".

Her shoes spat fire, literally, as the small jets installed into her feet were turned on, lifting her up in the air. She bonked her head against a thick branch, but she paid no attention to it. Instead, she looked into the foliage, quickly pulling out a shiny red balloon.

Right then, Chachamaru stopped abruptly. Her classmates and teacher followed her gaze to where a diminutive old lady in a kimono worked her way up a long set of steps leading to a shrine. Before anyone else could move, the gynoid had flashed next to the gray and old woman, greeting her with a bowing of her head.

"Ah, Chachamaru-chan!" the woman spoke in a nice and warm, but tired and spent, voice. "As pretty as always. Are you going to see your friends?".

The robot nodded again, and then turned around and crouched down, gesturing for the lady to climb onto her back.

"Oh, will you do that for me? You're too kind...".

Satomi did nothing but to take more notes. The others watched, amazed, how Chachamaru helped the woman to mount her, and then followed that by carrying her up to the shrine itself. Once there, the lady thanked her by patting her head with a wrinkled tiny hand.

"Thank you again, Chachamaru. You're such a good girl...".

They still were silent by the time the robot rejoined them. "I am sorry" she said. "My actions have delayed our schedule. I will do my best to prevent any further incidents of this nature".

"Y-You don't have anything to apologize for!" a deeply moved Negi shook his head.

Hakase overheard, arching an eyebrow, but opted to stay silent on the matter.

Finally, the robot led them into a large empty lot. Only a few old walls stood there, seemingly the final remains of a house brought down long ago.

"So, this is the place?" Hasegawa asked. "Who the heck could you meet at a place like this?".

Chachamaru didn't voice her reply. Instead, she only crouched down and started opening the cans, making small cooing sounds that were as bland as oddly moving. Attracted by the sound of her voice and the smell of the food, kittens and cats of all kinds and sizes began to show up from behind every wall, softly meowing and gathering around the newcomers, especially Chachamaru herself.

"Chachamaru" Satomi blinked, "What is the meaning of this...?".

"They depend on me" the robot kept her voice low as she fed a black and white kitty. "They all lost their homes. The Master allowed me to care after them. Would you please do the same thing?".

Misora giggled, picking a fat kitten up and scratching its stomach. "I wonder if Cocone would like one of these...".

"I only ask to keep them here" Chachamaru pleaded in a heartfelt monotone. "I promise not to bring them home".

"I don't know..." Hakase doubted.

"Please, Hakase-san...!" Negi, with stars in his eyes, held a purring tabby near her face. "Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?".

"GAH! Sensei, keep that dirty thing away from me, please! Who knows how many germs does it hold! Okay, Chachamaru, you can continue supervising these... felines as long as you keep them confined to this area!" she relented.

"Thank you" the machine bowed deeply.

Chisame scoffed before deciding to pet a cat herself. It was a small thingy with dark fur and very bright eyes that had caught her attention. Smiling a bit, she crouched down next to it and carefully reached for its head. "There, there, Cutie... Never fear, I'm just going to—".

Then the cat bit her fingers cruelly, with teeth as sharp and pointy as a bear trap.

"If it gets infected, I'll retaliate" Chisame mumbled while the five of them walked back towards her dorm. She was finishing wrapping her bitten finger in bandages, with a horrible sour expression etched into her face.

"You always are drowning in a glass of water" Misora carelessly said. "But I suppose it was to be expected from a hikkikomori".

Chisame tossed a killer glare into her direction. "How have you just called me??".

Negi blinked with curiosity. "What does that term mean?".

"Hikkikomori" Chachamaru read from her memory data banks. "Contemporary term popularly employed at Japan to design the so-called 'shut-ins', people who spends their time locked inside of their homes, rejecting social contact with others. See also, NEET, Otaku, Fanboy, Fangirl".

Chisame growled while pulling her keys out, the five stopping before the building's main door. "If you insist on being a dictionary, I'll make you sleep on the bookshelf!".

She opened the door, and all of them walked in. As they went for Chisame and Hakase's rooms, Negi couldn't help but stopping before the door to Yue and Nodoka's living quarters. He looked at it with a distant and worried expression, silently mulling to himself.

"Sensei?" Chisame asked him. "Snap out of it. They'll be okay".

"I know..." he sighed. "But, even so... I know it's my fault. They were targeted because they were my students, and the closest ones to us...".

"How is that your fault?" Misora huffed. "You aren't responsible for what that witch decided to do on her own".

Chachamaru seemed to be somewhat taken aback by those words. "The Master is... a complex person. She may seem ruthless and uncaring, but she never takes actions without a reason for it".

"No reason is good enough for putting us at the hospital!" Kasuga adamantly claimed.

"I'm sorry for your problems and Ayase-san's" Chachamaru bowed to her. "If I could do something to make up for it...".

Misora seemed interested. "Anything?".

"No matter what are you thinking, the answer is 'No'" Hakase warned her.

"Will you EVER let her to take her own decisions?" Misora snapped back. "By the way, Chachamaru, why do you think Eva skipped classes again today? You know her well. Don't you think she may be planning her revenge?".

"The possibilities of that are... near a ninety percent" the robot replied reluctantly. "The Master is not a person to take offenses or setbacks lightly, and once she puts her mind into something, she will not back down until she gets it".

"See? I told you!" Misora seemed reinvindicated. "The only thing we can do now is to counterattack while she's still weak and helpless! Or else she'll suck us drier than Nitta-sensei's lectures!".

"But she's my student, *and* your classmate!" Negi was scandalized. "What you are suggesting is simply wrong! Maybe we should just try to talk it over with her...".

Hakase was just looking at Chisame, who had frozen solid at the door. "What has happened?" the black haired teen asked.

"Sensei, no..." Chisame began, but he already had made his way inside. "Children today. Never listening to their elders".

"It isn't the Master's style for a lethal ambush" Chachamaru estimated. "She would prefer a grand entrance with a loud announcement of her overall superiority".

Hakase gave her a stupefact look. "In how many lethal ambushes has she taken you into?".

Negi had stopped right at the entrance to the bedroom, his eyes wide and his mouth open. Chisame had just stopped right behind him, gasping and making a terrified face. Hakase followed in, pushing her glasses up to look at the room's scene, with a puzzled face. Finally, after Chachamaru walked in and showed no recognition of whoever was there, Misora dared to warily follow in, peeking over the robot's right shoulder.

She saw a small furry animal, all white as snow, with a long tail and shiny black eyes and nose, sitting on top of a huge hill of feminine underwear, with a cigarette on its mouth. Its paws danced over the keyboard of Chisame's computer, as the screen before it displayed several images of a girl who looked a lot like Hasegawa herself, wearing several fancy and rather revealing dresses.

"Chamo...!" Negi could say at last.

The animal finally noticed it was not alone anymore, turning its head around to look at them. It lifted a paw up casually, and then it spoke, in a perky and cheerful voice.

For everyone else, it was seeing a smoking white weasel at a computer, on top of a mountain of underwear.

"Chamo...!!" the teacher ran to grab the animal in a tight, heartfelt hug, squeezing it against his chest. "It's been such a long, long time...!".

"My dear Bro!" the weasel cried back. "You have grown so much...!".

Chisame just pushed them aside and yelled while looking at her computer. "My webpage! You were browsing through my webpage!!" she voiced her despair, completely forgetting Misora and Chachamaru were there as well.

"Huh?" the furry thing looked back at her. "It was bookmarked, so I didn't see any problem with it!".

"YOU SEE NO PROBLEM WITH TURNING A STRANGER'S COMPUTER ON AND THEN— Oh my God" she clutched her face between her hands. "I'm talking to a white giant rat. And the rat is TALKING BACK TO ME!".

"That's such a rude thing to say!" the small mammal sounded offended. "A rat? Me?! Miss, I'll inform you I'm Albert Chamomille the Third, a noble descendant of the mythical Caith Sith ermines! I'm also the Bro here's best and closest confidante, so you'd better—".

"You're a peeper and a panty thief!!" Chisame growled, grabbing him by the throat, yanking him away from Negi and throttling him. "Where did you get all this underwear, you... you sicko hallucination!".

Hasegawa then realized he was looking up her skirt. With her face bright red, she kicked him against a wall. "Just die already!".

Negi knelt down in tears next to the tiny bleeding figure. "Chamo..." he sobbed. "Don't die...".

"I have just witnessed Eden..." Chamo spoke up with a suddenly deep and manly husky voice, his head tilting aside. "I can perish happily now...".

Five minutes later, however, he was perfectly okay now, sitting on top of the coffe table and laughing happily at the small group gathered around him.

"As soon as I learned the Bro was going to leave Wales, I knew I had to go after him, no matter if he went to the end of the world!" he narrated. "Sadly, I didn't arrive in time to come with him, but I managed to learn of your ultimate destination thanks to my amazing information compiling skills, Bro!".

"Where did you and Sensei first meet?" Satomi inquired. "I have a hard time imagining any common interest between the two of you".

"Oh, it happened five years ago, at the hills of our homeland" the mammal reminisced. "Somehow, despite my incredible skills at surviving in the wilderness, I was caught into a bear trap set up by a cruel and vile poacher...".

"Actually, it was our tutor at the time. He wanted to catch whoever was stealing the undergarments of the village's girls" the young boy pointed out.

"He still was cruel and vile!" Chamo protested. "Anyway, the Bro set me free, and he even fixed my broken leg with a healing spell! He also took a harsh punishment for letting me go!" he cried.

"It was only a light slap on the head..." Negi laughed it off.

"Ever since, I took an oath of honor to help my Brother to become a Magister Magi as great as his father! Maybe you mundanes don't know it, but the Magister Magi is the highest rank an aspiring mage can reach! And it can't be attained without the help of a good partner like me!" the ermine boasted.

"You have stolen all this lingerie from underage schoolgirls" Chisame dryly said while holding a rather racy pair of panties up. "Do you expect us to believe you have any honor to place oaths onto?". She paused. "By the way, where did you get these ones?".

Negi casted a confused glare on him. "I'll never understand that strange hobby of yours, Chamo...".

"Oh, you will, Bro" the ermine confided him. "Believe me, sooner or later, you will. By the way, are these girls your Pactio partners? I'm impressed! Little more than a week here, and you already got four of them!".

Chamo sat back, smiled a little snug ermine smirk, and began his explanation.

"The word 'Pactio' is Latin for 'Alliance'. It's the union of a Mage and a Partner to become companions in battle" he said. "Traditionally, wizards need someone to help them while they cast their spells... to protect their backs and such. The partner subordinated to the mage is called the Minister Magi, and normally plays a Paladin or Knight role to support the mage's actions. Are you following me?".

"I already knew all that" Misora said.

"Me as well" Chachamaru nodded.

"Chao had told me a few details on the matter" Satomi reminisced.

Chisame sweated. "Am I the only person at the class who has led a normal life until now?".

"Then pay attention, Ignorant-Sis" the ermine scolded her. "In exchange for their services as the guardians and protectors of the magic users, the Ministers receive a boost of magic power from their masters. It increases their bodies' strenght, agility and speed! Their stamina grows, as well as their mental endurance! And best of all, every Minister gets a special Artifact that allows them to use magical abilities of their own! Such abilities are usually born out of the Minister's subconscious mind, and thus, the Artifact generally matches the Minister's personality".

"No way" Hasegawa denied.

"Yes, way!" Chamo insisted. "A long, long way, actually!".

"Okay. And how is that fantastic alliance established?" Chisame moaned. "Through a signed contract with two leprechauns and a Fairy Godmother as witnesses?".

Negi blushed again and stammered. "U-Um, not that way, actually. It's... somewhat complex to explain—".

"Complex, nuthin'!" Chamo laughed. "The Magister and the Minister simply have to kiss each other!".

Chisame choked on her own saliva. "A-A-A KISS?!?".

"Well, yeah" the animal was unfettered. "If they don't like each other enough to share a kiss, then how could they hope to protect each other's lives? The link between Minister and Magister must be very deep and strong. There are a few other ways to establish a Pactio, yeah, but they are too bothersome, and almost no one uses them nowadays".

"But that's the Provisional Pactio, isn't it?" Hakase seemed to remember. "Chao once mentioned there was another kind of Pactio, one deeper and more powerful than the one established through a kiss".

"Ah, yes, the Permanent Pactio. It acts as a definitive union between Magister and Minister, but the Bro's still too young to even consider that" the ermine answered. "You can do several Provisional Pactios at the same time with no problem, but only Magister Magi of a really high level can establish two or more Permanent Pactios at the same time. It happens, however. Ever heard of King Solomon? The legends of the Magical World say he achieved such a knowledge of the arcane arts he managed to amass a whole harem— I mean, team— of Permanent Ministra. Afterwards, he founded the basis for the current Magician's Society Goetia, and he—".

"Stop the history lesson right now!" Chisame shouted. "If a Provisional Pactio is achieved through a kiss, then how do you get a Permanent Pactio?".

"Well..." Chamo seemed uneasy as his friend and Misora looked even more awkward, "I... I'll explain it to you when you're older...".

"A very astute observation, Chiu-chan!" the critter nodded quickly. "As a matter of fact, yes, many Minister and Magister end up marrying each other! That's why usually the pairings are between a female and a male, although there can be any sorts of variations on it".

She stared daggers at him. "Never call me 'Chiu-chan' again if you value your life! And now I'm even more sure Sensei doesn't need to think of such things yet! Don't tell me that's the only reason why you came all the way here!".

Chamo seemed offended. "Do you think I would be here only to push an agenda upon you, Bro?". He turned some huge Bambi eyes up at Negi.

Misora sighed, then looked at the window. "It's getting late" she noticed.

"Well, go back home then" Chisame humphed.

"No way I'm going out into the night again as long as Evangeline is out there hunting" the shorter girl cringed.

"But you can't leave your friend Cocone alone all night long, either" Negi pointed out. "I can escort you home if you want...".

"No need for that, Sensei!" she laughed. "I'll just call her and tell her to go sleep with the next door neighbor. She never makes any questions; I used to send Cocone-chan with her whenever I slept over at Yuuna's".

"Don't reject the chance, Bro..." Chamo whispered, chuckling as he playfully elbowed the boy's chest. "Sleeping in the same room as four pretty girls! Someday, you'll look back at this night and think—".

A book thrown at his face silenced him.

Chisame was just as surprised herself as the others she hadn't been the one to toss the tome. She looked at Satomi with wide perplexed pupils. "Hakase...?".

There was the slightest fade of pinkish red over the scientist's cheeks. "My hand slipped. Sorry".

She had been having that kind of dreams again. She had not had them for months now; she thought she was over them by then. And yet, they had just returned.

It was the ermine's fault. He and his dirty talking about nonsense like lust and romance. Satomi sat up on the bed grumbling to herself, feeling strangely hot and bothered, as she had not felt for so long. She knew she couldn't get to sleep again until she took charge of her annoying mounted up tension.

The last thing she needed in her life was being reminded of Kazuya-sempai.

It had been a stupid girlie crush, the kind of thing she was supposed to be above of. She would be mortified if anyone knew about it; she suspected Chao and Chisame did know, but neither of them would ever talk about it, and she preferred it that way. No matter what, she had to leave that alone, forgotten and buried.

And yet, the need was there again. It needed to be dispatched away and quickly.

Her eyes wandered into the darkness until they found Chachamaru, sitting quietly next to Negi-sensei's futon, with the sleeping child's head resting on her lap.

"Chachamaru" her creator whispered.

"Yes?" her creation whispered back.

"I... I... I will be at the toilet for, um, a substantial amount of time" Satomi took extra efforts to keep her own voice barely audible. "If anyone should attempt to enter there during that period, you are authorized to stop them at any and all costs. Especially the ermine".

"Understood" the robot said softly. She looked at the drawer where the animal slept like a log, on top of a comfy bed made of stolen underwear.

Satomi nodded while standing up and heading for the bathroom's door. She may not have known the first thing about popular sexual lingo and innuendo, but she was well read, and academically, she was well familiarized with the mechanics of the exercise she was about to engage into.

Not to mention, well, she had the practice of all those months ago.

Stupid Kazuya-sempai.

He never had even noticed her.

It hurt now, like an old wound that had just reopened.

Hakase slammed the door closed after herself.

At the upper bunk of the bed, Misora's eyes were fully open. She did not move at all, but her mind raced faster than her feet at any day at the track. Had she just been woken up by the sounds of Hakase Satomi actually going to do what she thought she was going to do? Or was she still dreaming? Nah, she had to be dreaming. No way the Prof could—

On second thought, maybe it was better if she wasn't dreaming it. Because if she dreamed about the mere notion of Hakase doing that, what did that say about herself?

It was bad enough she was sharing a bed with Hasegawa Chisame of all people. Actually, it had not been that bad at first; Chisame slept quietly and was not the type that rolled around. But now that Hakase had made those small noises, that seemed to have pushed her roommmate to the brink of waking up.

"Nnnh" Chisame mumbled sleepily, feeling someone near her, forgetting all about going to sleep with the young sister. "Sensei. Here again? Idiot".

Without any warning, the sleeping girl drove a fist into Misora's chin, and hard, making her to squeal under her breath. For someone who vegetated all day long before a computer, Chisame sure packed a mean punch!

And apparently she also half-heard Misora's choked mild sobbings of pain, because her face softened after it. "Mmghhh. No cry" the long haired girl mumbled. "No, moron. Sorry. Sorry".

Misora was surprised when the sleeping schoolgirl put her hands on her shoulders, vaguely pulling her towards herself, allowing her chin to rest on her left shoulder. Kasuga was starting to get a truly bizarre, but probably accurate, idea of Negi-kun and Chisame's recent sleeping habits.

And yet, it felt warm and comfortable.

Misora relaxed herself in Chisame's loose sisterly embrace, smiling a little. She closed her eyes slowly and allowed herself to drift off into sleep.